the quiet spirit

"O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; 

my eyes are not raised too high; 

I do not occupy myself 

with things too great and too marvelous for me. 

But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, hope in the Lord 

from this time forth and forevermore."

Psalm 131

Beautiful simplicity. Perfect quietness. As a mother, my 'hours' don't end--even when I am away or asleep, I am ready to respond if need be. King David was undoubtedly in the same position. As king, he carried the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders. My 'kingdom' is certainly not as glorious and I don't have maidens and butlers to look after (how lovely that would be some days!), but I most certainly feel as though the world rests on my shoulders at times. 

Read this Psalm again. Let it impact your soul. King David's mind is in a complete state of rest. It is not occupied with things to great or marvelous for him. He recognizes that he is not greater than the circumstance running through his head and surrenders that before his Almighty God. He finds complete peace and rest in that place of surrender. 

What is a weaned child? It is completely different than a child taking comfort in the sustenance of it's mother's breast. Rather, it is a child that is content with her presence and her presence only. The child is not drawing anything from the mother other than perfect communion and rest in her embrace. 

I am not a theologian. I admit that I have not studied the Scriptures to the point of knowing what King David was going through at the time he penned this beautiful Psalm. Truthfully, the circumstances surrounding it are irrelevant. The truth is, while the world was still spinning, enemies still plotting, people still scheming, David was resting. David found complete peace in the simple presence of his Father. 

Oh Father, quiet my heart I pray. I am so quick to come into your presence and advise you. Remind me Father that what my heart longs for is not a solution but your presence. May I find complete rest in your embrace like a weaned child with it's mother. I surrender all those things that are too lofty for me--the problems of the day, week, year, that are too great for me to solve. I lay them before you and long to lose myself in the shadow of your wings. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for calming me. Thank you for sustaining me. 

"I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land." Psalm 143:5

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

look full in His wonderful face,

and the things of earth will grow strangely dim

in the light of His glory and grace.

~Helen H Lemmel 1922